They Both Die at the End

Imagine a world where companies can predict the day you die. They have call centres that specialise in ringing people on their “Death Day” to let them know it’s the end. Oh, & they have an app where you can find someone else who shares your death day if you don’t want to go out alone. That’s the premise of They Both Die at the End & you guessed it, they both really do.

The Summary

This book is best read with the least amount of knowledge possible, and I absolutely refuse to spoil any of the heartbreaking scenes. Instead I’ll briefly talk about the characters & try not to get tears on my keyboard.

Mateo is a precious little angel who’s lived his entire life protected in his bubble. He’s terrified of the world around him, too scared to live his life to the fullest & when he gets the Death Day phone call his world comes crashing down around him. He feels like he’s lived too short of a life, and he has to do something about it, before it’s too late.

Rufus on the other hand, he’s lived by a completely different set of rules. He’s wild and untamed, live life on the edge & taken plenty of names… but he still has his own secrets and regrets too. He has such a great soul and a heart of freaking gold that makes him the perfect friend for Mateo on their Death Day. Maybe he can show Mateo what living is actually all about.

The Analysis

So I cried… a lot. This book has so many great moments & it really tugs at the heart strings. These two boys couldn’t be more different, & they couldn’t be more perfect for one another. I’m giving They Both Die at the End 9/10 angsty teen moments. It was almost perfect, and I mean that. The main boys were amazingly written, the minor characters around them had personality & were actually intriguing, and the whole premise of the world was fascinating, The only thing that bothered me was that it dragged a little in the middle. Maybe a little too long in parts, but beyond that I can’t complain about anything else!

This book and the world it creates gave me so many questions and had me looking deep inside myself & facing my fears on death & the world. Just imagine, you have 24 hours to live, & you’re aware of every single minute that passes. 24 hours to tell your loved ones how much they mean to you, 24 hours to confess any hidden feelings & 24 hours to truly forgive anyone that has wronged you. 23 hours to read any books that are on your waiting list, 22 hours to spend with your pets telling them how much you’re going to miss them. 21 hours to research any and all religions and any philosophers words on death itself. 20 hours to listen to your favourite songs for the last time, 19 hours to look up all those places in the world you’ll never get a chance to see in person. 18 hours to debate buying a plane ticket or 5, 17 hours to spend chasing that wanderlust deep inside your bones. 16 hours to eat all of your favourite foods, 15 hours to visit places of your childhood, 14 hours to be nice to everyone you meet. 13 hours to watch some of your favourite movies and remember the first time you saw them, 12 hours to re-invent yourself with makeup or a fresh haircut you’ve always wanted to try. 11 hours to accomplish your new-years resolutions, 10 hours to spend wondering what comes next. 9 hours to read over text conversations and notes passed in school, 8 hours to look through photo-albums & 7 hours to cry about the memories you swore you’d never forget. 6 hours to pick out your dying outfit, 5 hours to change your mind & put something else on & 4 hours to change your mind again. 3 hours to tell everyone you care about that you love them again, 2 hours to debate if you want to be alone or with someone & 1 final hour to really see the world for how fragile it is.

This book is as inspiring as it is heart-breaking. They Both Die at the End begs the question, “What would you do on your last day?” … and your answers might just say more about you than you think.